Promises Made Long Ago
by Sayakan
Summary: Junko and Kazumo reminisce. Oneshot.


The bar is quiet, save for the two drunk women sitting at the counter. Their drinks slosh around in the large cups, and the person manning the bar is reluctant to leave them alone while he uses the bathroom.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asks the two women. The purple haired, more lucid woman waves him off.

"We'll be fine," she promises. The other woman, who has glasses and brown hair, agrees with a wave of her hand. The barkeeper reluctantly leaves, and the brown-haired woman begins to speak in a slurred tone. The purple-haired woman sighs, but takes another swig.

"How's Madoka holding up?" The purple-haired woman puts down her glass with a heavy thunk, and the brown-haired woman nearly jumps from her seat.

"Not well," she admits. "But Kazuko, you should know that. Nobody would be fine after their best friend died." Kazuko half-heartedly nods, and continues with the subject, but not before taking another sip of her beverage. She can already see the mug's bottom, and she shakes the bronze liquid around as she prepares to speak. Junko is attentively listening, and she has already downed her own drink. They are both probably completely drunk, but tonight is the night for this.

"D'ya… D'ya think they made that thing? The contract? Junko, we should've helped." It is apparent Kazuko has had much more to drink than Junko, and she frowns. The walls are oppressive and seem to be closing in, and Junko believes the room is much too hot. She loosens her shirt and sighs in some relief. Then she shoots up as she registers Kazuko's question.

"No!" she blurts, then settles down and composes herself. "Maybe."

"Whatta 'bout Madoka?" asks Kazuko. Junko shakes her head in shame.

"I checked her. Not Sayaka. I should have paid more attention, but-"

"Hey." Kazuko puts a comforting hand on Junko's shoulder. "We couldn't have known. Don't beat yourself up over it." Junko stops ranting and smiles gratefully at the woman.

"Thanks, Kazuko." They are once again silent, and the barkeeper soon comes back. Junko pays and they leave. Neither of them are in any condition to drive, and calling a taxi doesn't seem to occur to them. So they walk home, and neither talks until the sun has already dipped below the horizon, and there are scant rays left to light up the dark sky.

"Do you remember?" Kazuko suddenly asks. Junko, startled, almost pushes the brown-haired woman to the ground, but she stops herself in time. "Being magical girls…"

"I kind of miss it," admits Junko. "But I'm glad we don't have that duty anymore."

"There's a transfer student," Kazuko suddenly says. "She's pretty, ya know? Homura, that's her name… She's causing quite a stir."

"And?" Junko's vision blurs, and she stops. Kazuko follows suit, but the teacher continues to talk.

"She's a magical girl." Junko gasps and spins too, too quickly, and she needs a moment to catch her breath. "Homura has the ring and the mark. She's taken an interest in Madoka, too."

"I need to get home." Junko begins to sprint, but Kazuko grabs her arm before the woman can get away.

"Wait!" Junko pauses in mid-step, and turns calmly. Junko pulls her back, and their eyes meet. "Five minutes won't make a difference. Junko, let's talk."

They continue to amble forward, going nowhere in particular. They're oddly lucid, but Kazumo collapses on a park bench, with Junko following not too long after.

"Do you remember that promise we made?" asks Kazumo. Junko's eyes cloud over, and she repeats a set of words.

"'We'll fight together, forever.' Yeah, I remember." Junko twiddles her thumbs. "But it was only because of Mako's sacrifice we're here. _You know…" _Kazuko's face reddens in shame, but she plows on.

"Junko, we could… go back to those days. Mako's wish was for all of us to stop being magical girls until there is no one else to protect this town. We'd go back to being young again. Kazuko Saotome and Junko Kaname would disappear." Kazuko takes a deep breath. "We can be lovers again- _we just need to kill Homura." _Junko gasps.

"Kazumo, you can't… an innocent girl…"

"When we made that contract, we all stop being innocent," grimly states Kazuko, and Junko can't disagree. But she begins to walk away.

"I have a family, Kazuko. Settle down with someone. You'll be happier for it. I can't abandon this life, no matter how much I love you." Kazuko furiously wipes her eyes.

"FINE!" she yells. "But I swear, Junko… one day we'll be together again." There is a looping half-smile on Junko's face as she walks home.

"I hope so," she murmurs quietly, and Kazuko does not hear her. At home, Madoka is in bed, her head outlined by soft pink locks of hair. Junko can't imagine leaving this life, no matter what Kazuko may argue. Though she loves the teacher, she loves Madoka, Tatsuya, and Tomohisa too. "Don't contract, Madoka. Please." In the depths of sleep, Madoka shifts and mumbles something incomprehensible. Junko leaves,

When there is a storm, Junko knows it is a witch, and Homura Akemi is fighting out there by herself. She knows when the brunette dies (as she surely will) she and Kazumo will be given back their original roles as magical girls. And oddly enough, she almost looks forward to that moment. She will protect her family. Junko swears this.

So when she sees Madoka running out of the shelter, Junko knows what will happen. She stops her daughter, and the pinkette guiltily tells her what is most likely the truth- only she can save her friend.

Junko lets her go. Madoka has a plan, she knows, and her daughter is smart enough to follow through with it and not be tricked by Kyubey. There will be a happy ending. Junko knows it, and she prays for it.

When she gets back inside, Kazumo waits for her.

"You let Madoka go?" she asks, surprised. Junko nods.

"In the end, all I can do as a good parent is help her move forward." Kazuko thinks about the pink-haired girl, and thinks the same way.

"I'm sorry about what I said that night," she blurts out. "I was drunk, Junko. Your life is precious." Junko waves off the other woman with a smile.

"It's all right. But now, all we can do is wait."

In the well-lit shelter, away from anyone else, the two share a kiss. It is brief, and passionate. Junko knows this is wrong, but she refuses to be denied this. The feeling of soft flesh on flesh is all she can feel for a while, and she still tastes Kazuko when she goes back to Tomohisa.

* * *

The bar is quiet, save for the two drunk women sitting at the counter. Their drinks slosh around in the large cups, and the person manning the bar is reluctant to leave them alone while he uses the bathroom.

"So one of your students died today?" asks the purple-haired one, ignoring the barman, who eventually sighs and leaves anyway.

"Yeah. Sayaka. Nice kid, not too great in school." The brown-haired one looks down, a tear in her eye. "Junko, I think she contracted."

_Bang. _Junko slams down her mug and gasps.

"What?"

"Yeah, she had the ring and all. But she was with the transfer student and two other girls. There are still magical girls left here." The two take a swig of liquor and pay for the drinks before leaving.

"So we won't be donning the title of magical girls again?" quietly asks Junko. "Kazuko, I've always wanted to meet the Law of Cycles." Kazuko is silent for a while until she eventually speaks up.

"Maybe. But Mako sacrificed so much, we might as well honor that." Junko begins to walk away, when she suddenly stiffens.

"Kazumo, do you ever feel like you're missing something?" Kazumo shakes her head.

"No. Why?"

"Never mind." And Junko walks home to her son, unaware of the goddess in the sky watching her closely.

**Time for a short (read: long) authors note! **

**This was originally supposed to be an extension on Junko and Kazumo's chat, but it ended up stretching into a 'Junko and Kazumo are magical girls and I wanted to include Oriko Magica.' So this fanfiction was born!**

**But I did want to write something about these two characters. I always found it suspicious that a HIGHLY CAPABLE MOTHER would let her child go out in a storm by herself. Answer: Junko was actually a magical girl! **

**Anyway, I also found that scene in the anime to be one of my favorites, because of how it portrays two people, unknowing of the magical world so nearby, living their daily life while wondering about this magic. So this is my half-hearted attempt at continuing that. Why is it so bad?  
**

**Answer: I NEED SLEEP.**

**Just kidding. I just suck at writing fanfiction.**

**Putting that aside for now, I should explain Junko and Kazumo's backstory. They were magical girls (of course) and potentially lovers. Junko probably wished for her crush (Tomohisa) to fall in love with her, and Kazumo might have made a wish to help her family or something. Or maybe Junko wished for a successful future. But the point is, they promised to never be apart, and to always fight together. Then they learn about witches. Horrified, they regret ever making contracts. **

**Afterward, Mato Chitose arrives. She wishes to save Junko and Kazumo from their contract, wishing all three of them would be free of their duties (including corrupting their soul gem and using their powers) until there are no more magical girls to protect Mihikitaria. Then, they will revert into magical girls.**

**As she grows older, Mako becomes bitter about wasting her wish. She marries some lousy cheater, then sees how Yuma can become a magical girl. In anger about her wasted wish, Mako beats the girl.**

**Meanwhile, Junko and Kazumo have a normal life. But Kazumo still loves Junko, so she is unable to settle down. Leading to this story…**

**I've invented a new pairing! Junko/Kazumo. Jumo.**

**I'll put the disclaimer here.**

**I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magia.**


End file.
